In just three years, the number of problem gamblers in Norway has dropped from 55,000 to 23,000. This is thanks to the Norwegian gambling model.
In 2007, Norwegian politicians removed the private slot machines from the country's grocery stores and kiosks. The result was that the number of Norwegians with gambling problems was halved "overnight". Now they've done it again.
In 2020, the population survey on gambling showed a worrying increase in the proportion of Norwegians with gambling problems. Now the trend has reversed. The survey presented by the Norwegian Lottery Authority on 31 May shows that the number of problem gamblers in Norway has fallen from 55,000 to 23,000 in just three years.
This is more than a halving, and it has not happened by itself. The strength of the Norwegian gambling model is the sum of measures from politicians, authorities and us who sell gambling legally in Norway. Effective measures have been put in place from several quarters at the same time, because both the authorities and the legal Norwegian gambling companies are working towards the same goal: to prevent gambling problems.
The basis that gives this room for action has been driven forward through legislative work from several governments, through several periods of the Storting. The work gained momentum under all four culture ministers in Erna Solberg's government. The new and stricter Gambling Act was passed during Jonas Gahr Støre's government. But, in the gambling field, it hasn't really mattered much who is in power. A broad, cross-party majority has for several decades stood united around the Norwegian gambling model. We are now seeing the benefits of cross-party agreement over time.
In recent years, the change in the Broadcasting Act, which gave the Danish Media Authority the opportunity to stop illegal gambling advertising on TV, is probably the most visible move. Norwegians are now the people in Scandinavia who are least exposed to gambling advertising. Behind the scenes, a strengthened ban on payment intermediaries to and from illegal gaming companies is increasingly effectively enforced by the Swedish Lottery Authority (LST). The latter has also ensured that apps and advertising are removed from major platforms such as Apple, Facebook and Google. LST has also issued orders to stop operations in Norway to the largest illegal players. The result is that one by one they have discontinued their Norwegian-language websites and Norwegian online advertising. A legislative proposal on DNS blocking of illegal gaming sites is now under consultation.
From Norsk Tipping's side, the marketing in recent years has become even more concentrated on the games with the lowest risk of gambling problems. Therefore, it is advertisements for lotteries and Flax that dominate, together with messages about gambling responsibility. Online casino games are not advertised, as they are the games that cause the most problems for people. The maximum loss limit on Norsk Tipping's online casino games has been lowered to NOK 5,000 a month. At the same time, we have developed an effective digital tool that engages in dialogue with risk players while they play. Yes, AI can be scary, but it can also be used for good things.
Based on our own figures, we see that it helps. Our own, annual problem gambling measurement shows a falling trend. We also see that the customers' playing patterns in sum are moving in a healthier direction. When the Lotteritilsynet's and the University of Bergen's population survey shows the same, it gives us confirmation that we are doing a lot right.
Nor is it the case that customers flee when the rules are tightened. Last year, 88 percent of all gambling in Norway took place at legal gambling providers. When almost nine out of ten Norwegians choose the legal offer, it is a sure sign that they have stopped the players who make a living from the most aggressive and risky online casino and sports games.
These nine out of ten should know that they are playing in a country where consumer protection is world-class. In Norway, we have loss limits that protect everyone. Norwegian politicians are planning a market with world-leading demands for accountability, where the big folk games are the locomotive. They do so because lotteries are games with low risk, where many customers play for small sums.
In the online casino market, there are a few big losers who "pull the load" and generate income for the companies that have this as their main store. It is such a gambling market that Norwegian politicians have said no to, despite increasing pressure from the industry abroad. It is a choice of values that they still strongly support.
https://www.norsk-tipping.no/artikler/god-regulering-har-halvert-nordmenns-spilleproblemer